Learn Hindi Online

Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in the world, and is the native language spoken in many states across northern India. It is also widely spoken in the rest of India as well as in other countries like Nepal, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Hindi derives from the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit and has been enriched over the years with influences from various other languages including Persian, Arabic and English.

If you are an expat in India or thinking about relocating to India, it makes sense to invest in learning the language, especially if you are going to be here for a reasonable period of time. While many people in the metro cities (Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad etc.) speak English, the English speaking population is often restricted to work places, malls, hotels etc. For many daily activities, such as taking a cab, buying groceries, interacting with government authorities, a basic grasp of Hindi can make your life much easier.

Learn Hindi Online

Here are some basic phrases to help you get started with learning Hindi!

1.    “Namaste” = Hello

2.    “Mera naam <insert name> hai” = My name is <name>

3.    “Apka naam kya hai” = What is your name?

4.    “Aap kaise ho” = How are you?

5.    “Main theek hoon” = I am fine.

6.    “Mujhe <insert place> jaana hai”  = I want to go to <place>

7.    “Aapse milkar accha laga” – It was nice to meet you

8.    “Aaj mausam accha hai” – The weather is good today

9.    “Yeh bahut zaada hai!” = This is too much!

1.  “Dhanyavaad” or “Shukriya” = Thank you

Here are some useful things to know about Indian popular culture!

1.    Bollywood refers to the Hindi language movie industry based in Mumbai. However, Indian cinema is not just Bollywood – movies are made in many regional languages, each with their own preferred centers.

2.    Hockey is the national sport of India, but cricket has the most following and is treated almost as a religion. Sachin Tendulkar, arguably the most successful batsman of all time (now retired from international cricket), is accorded demi-god status by his fans.

3.    It is common to refer to men (of similar age group) you do not know as “bhai” literally meaning “brother” and women as “behen” meaning “sister”. For elders and social superiors, “ji” is added as a sign of respect (e.g. uncle ji, aunty ji, behen ji).

4.    It is common for Indian men and women to touch the feet of their elders to seek their blessings.

5.    India is a land of diversity – other than Hindi, there are 21 other “official languages”, aside from numerous other languages and dialects. India is also the birthplace of 4 of the world’s major religions – Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

iRikai offers a range of courses that can help you learn Hindi online and study Indian culture – whether it is basic conversational Hindi or more intensive courses, or even Indian business etiquette. 

Please visit http://irikai.com/Learn-Hindi-Online-with-Tutor.php, email us at learning@irikai.com or call us on +91 9873 873 006 for a consultation on your needs.